Eels respond to NRL Concussion Review

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The Dyldam Parramatta Eels have today welcomed the review of procedures surrounding players who sustain concussions on the field in the National Rugby League.

The ARL Commission has approved changes to the concussion rules to clarify circumstances under which players must be removed from the field of play, and kept off.

The new rules will help doctors determine which action should be taken when a player suffers a head injury, and will come into effect from the coming weekend’s Round 6 games.

The Eels have also been issued a $20,000 fine by the NRL ($10,000 of which is suspended) for failing to correctly adhere to protocols around concussion while assessing and treating three players, including hooker Nathan Peats, in Auckland in Round 3.

Eels CEO Scott Seward has said the incident has resulted in a valuable reassessment of the issue in the game as a whole.

“The important thing for us is that we had the opportunity to make a submission regarding this matter to the NRL,” Seward said.

“In it we reiterated our full faith in the skill and integrity of our medical staff, and that ultimately, the right medical assessment was reached in Nathan’s case.”

“But in the process, we also acknowledge that we did not follow one aspect of the code for assessing concussions, and we have already introduced new processes and additional training to ensure that we follow the NRL’s directive to the letter in all instances of possible concussion.”

In Parramatta’s submission, the club also made a number of recommendations for addressing concussion to protect player welfare and safety, and to maintain the integrity of medical staff.